King Edward Visits Hartlebury Castle

In 1282 King Edward I - Edward Longshanks because of his great height - stayed at Hartlebury Castle on his way into Wales for the final subjugation of the rebellious Welsh Princes. In the following year Edward commenced his great scheme of castle building in Wales, under the direction of his fortifications builder, Master James of St George. From this building programme we have inherited the architectural masterpieces of Harlech, Beaumaris and, arguably the greatest of them all, Caernarfon, to name but three. It is not inconceivable that Master James was part of the Royal retinue staying at Hartlebury and may have observed the recent building methods there for later adaptation in Wales. The mediaeval castle was close to the River Severn, moated and also surrounded by fishponds. Edward's great love of Arthurian and Grail legends were to lead him to incorporate their chivalric motifs in his Welsh castles - for example the water defences at Beaumaris and the use of the river at Caernarfon echoed the 'castle across the water' theme of the grail castle. The large expanses of water at and around Hartlebury would therefore have been a welcome and fortuitous sight for Edward on his way to do battle in Wales.